Oregon declares a statewide state of emergency due to ‘imminent threat of wildfire’
Oregon Gov Kitzhaber has declared a statewide State of Emergency due to ‘the imminent threat of wildfire,’ after extreme fire danger and red flag warnings were issued for much of the state.
- A wildfire has scorched about 85,000, threatening at least 200 structures and prompting evacuation orders for residents near Lakeview.
- The Barry Point Fire, sparked by lightning on Monday August 6, is located about 22 miles southwest of Lakeview, OR on the Fremont-Winema National Forest and private lands.
- Another Wildfire, Ten Mile Complex Fire, consisting of the Ten Mile fire (10,000 acres), and the Banana Lake Fire(5,000 acres), also sparked by lightning, is reportedly 90 percent contained.
- The Holloway Fire, a Mega Wildfire, has scorched 700 square miles along the Nevada-Oregon state line, more than half of it in Oregon.
- Other wildfires in the state include the Fort Complex fire, three blazes burning together from California into SW Oregon, the Waterfalls 2 fire near Warm Springs, and the Butte fire in Douglas County.
‘Thunderstorms this weekend in the Pacific Northwest, particularly western Washington through Oregon into northern California and Nevada, will be capable of abundant lightning with little or no rain. Given the very dry fuel conditions, lightning has the potential to start new wildfires across the region,’ NWS said.
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
- Texas, USA.Dallas Mayor has declared a state of emergency and ordered aerial pesticide spraying in Dallas following a surge in the cases of the West Nile virus which have killed at least 26 people nationwide this summer.
- Dallas County has reported more than 200 infections, which have resulted in at least ten deaths.
- About 450 human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in 2 dozen Texas counties, with at least 16 fatalities attributed to the infections.
- In Houston, 95% of mosquitoes tested carry the virus.
- See also: Forest Fires Force Thousands to Evacuate in Canary Islands
2012 West Nile virus update: as of August 14
At least 43 states have reported West Nile virus infections in people, birds, or mosquitoes. A total of 861 cases of West Nile virus disease in people, including at least 26 deaths, have been reported to CDC. Of these, 59% were classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis) and 41% were classified as non-neuroinvasive disease.
More than 80 percent of the cases have been reported from six states (Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and California) and almost half of all cases have been reported from Texas, CDC reported.
West Nile virus (WNV) activity reported to ArboNET, by state, United States, 2012 (as of August 14, 2012)
Eight hundred sixty-one (861) human West Nile virus infections have been reported to CDC ArboNET from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.
Non-human WNV Cases
Non-human West Nile virus infections have been reported to CDC ArboNET from Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
- Louisiana, USA. Gov Jindal has declared a state of emergency for Plaquemines Parish due to encroaching salt water, which is threatening drinking water in the New Orleans area.
- “Due to the Mississippi River’s low water levels, salt water has been moving far upriver and was at the outskirts of New Orleans by Wednesday, nearly 90 miles north of the mouth of the Mississippi,” said a report.
- High levels of sodium and chloride have been detected in Plaquemines Parish’s drinking water.
Links to Recent Wildfires
Related Links
Drought – Recent Links
Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background
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